A baby okapi is taking its first steps in the world after being born at Chester Zoo.

The young male, named Usala by his keepers, was born to mum Stuma after a 14-and-a-half-month pregnancy.

The animals are found in the wild in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the zoo says their numbers are in decline there, partly due to hunters targeting them for meat.

Curator of mammals, Tim Rowlands said: “Sadly okapis and their close relatives, the giraffes, continue to be forgotten giants. We tend to hear a fair bit about the threats faced by elephants and rhinos while most people think that giraffes are fine.

"This couldn’t be further from the truth. Giraffes and okapi are going through a silent extinction. We need to start sticking our necks out for these species and hopefully being able to see the amazing arrival of Usala can really draw some much needed attention to these incredibly beautiful animals.”